eart.

To Donovan it always seemed a perfectly natural and simple thing that
Konrad Karl should marry Madame Ypsilante. But it turned out to be
rather difficult to arrange the matter. Madame herself had no
particular objection to being married. She was lukewarm and
indifferent until she found out that the Queen was looking forward to
the wedding as a beautiful finish to a great romance. Madame had a
grateful soul and was willing to do much to please the Queen who
nursed her and was kind to her while she lay in bed exhausted by her
journey. Her contempt for the American miss vanished, as soon as she
understood that neither her pearls nor Konrad Karl were to be taken
from her. Besides, there is always pleasure to be got out of preparing
for a wedding. It was impossible, indeed, to buy clothes on Salissa.
But it was not impossible to accept presents from the Queen's ample
wardrobe. A great deal of interesting fitting and altering was done,
and in the end Madame had an ample trousseau. The Queen, with the help
of Smith, made an immense and splendid wedding cake.

It was Konrad Karl who created difficulties. He said--and Donovan
believed him--that he was personally quite willing to marry Madame
Ypsilante. He desired to marry her. She was the only woman in the
world whom he would marry of his own free will. But he remained
incurably terrified of the Emperor. Donovan talked to him about the
rights of free citizens. He said that the humblest man had power to
choose his wife. Nothing he said had the slightest influence on Konrad
Karl.

"But," the King used to reply, "you do not understand. I am a king."

"Well," said Donovan, "according to my notions that's the same thing,
only more so."

"Ah, no," said the King. "Ah, damn it, no. A king is not bourgeois,
what you call citizen. That is the point. It is because I am a king
that the Emperor interferes. If I were a citizen, but----"

He shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

Gorman tried him along a different line.

"Look here," he said, "the Emperor has got himself into a nasty mess.
He's in for a big war. He can't possibly have any time to spare to
worry over who you marry."

"To-day, no," said the King, "but to-morrow the Emperor wins the war,
and then----"

"I wouldn't be too cocksure of his winning," said Gorman.

"It is surer than any cock," said the King. "It was settled long ago.
I do not understand _Real Politik_, but I know that much. The Emperor
wins the war.